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Meet the Author

Author Pam Muñoz Ryan writes books for adults, picture books for children, and novels for older students. Her works have garnered, among countless accolades, the Pura Belpré medal, the Jane Addams Award, and the Schneider Family Award.

On March 15, 2006, award-winning author Pam Muñoz Ryan participated in a chat with Scholastic students and teachers. Ryan's books include Esperanza Rising, Riding Freedom, Paint the Wind, and When Marian Sang.

Pam Muñoz Ryan Book Activities

Pam Muñoz Ryan draws on the rich cultural heritage of her family background, as well as important segments of American history, to create memorable books that are exciting to read, and that depict strong human values.

This award-winning novel about a young girl caught in the middle of family conflicts provides an opportunity to teach how a character changes and grows as she learns lessons about life and herself. Students will engage in activities including mapping a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, learning Spanish and English cognates, and exploring the meaning of their own names.

Charley Parker was a legendary stagecoach driver, an unbeatable horse handler, and the first woman to vote in the United States! How did it happen, and why did Charlotte Parker decide to become Charley?

This guide features guided student questions with answers provided for an instructor. Thirteen-year-old Esperanza's world changes completely when she and her mother are forced to leave their comfortable life in Mexico and work in a labor camp in California.